


To Know Him

by kateorangesky11



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-05-24 01:26:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6136564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kateorangesky11/pseuds/kateorangesky11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While pregnant with Greg's baby, Rose meets a strange boy. Who is he? And, more importantly, who is he to her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Know Him

Greg took the video camera from her and smiled.

“There we go, honey. Now we can get another shot–” He frowned and turned the camcorder over. “Oh no, apparently this thing is low on batteries. I’ll just run to the store and get some more. I shouldn’t be too long.” He kissed Rose and then put his lips to her pregnant belly. “Catch ya later, baby,” he whispered to it, and Rose giggled. She watched as he got in the van and drove down the beach towards the boardwalk.

Rose walked back to the temple, one hand idly on her belly. She could feel it moving around, this wonderful being within her. Her hand fell to her gem and, not for the first time, she lamented the fact that she would never know her child.

 _No, that’s not true_ , she thought as she went into the temple. _I will be a part of them_. _And that’s what this video is for, so they will know me. But I…I won’t…_

She couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her face as she stood in front of the door to the inner temple. _But I will never know them. Not like Greg will know them. Not like Pearl and Garnet and Amethyst will._ This time the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. _I will never be able to see them._

Her gem glowed and opened the door to her room. She glided in and fell to her knees on the soft floor.

“I will never be able to see them. I will never be able to see my child. I–” Her voice broke as her sobs took over. This video they were recording, it was for their child to know them, but she would never be able to know who they were, what they were like. “I will never know them, I–”

“Excuse me?”

Rose gasped and looked up at the noise. There was a little boy standing in front of her. A human boy–or was he? She wasn’t able to tell. He was small and chubby, with round cheeks and curly black hair. His pink shirt seemed maybe a size too big, but his jeans and sandals seemed to fit him just fine. His eyes were kind, and they seemed horribly familiar to Rose.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the boy said, “but why are you crying?”

“I…who are you?”

The boy didn’t answer, but moved in closer and put a hand to her cheek. He wiped away a tear there.

“Whatever it is, I’d like to help. It’s what I do. I like saving people.”

Rose found herself smiling. “Me too. That’s why I came here to Earth. Human beings, they’re so fragile, but so beautiful. They must be protected.”

The boy sat criss-crossed beside her. “Do you like it here? Have you made lots of friends?”

“I do. I do very much. And yes, I’ve made my very best friends here. I’ve even fallen in love here.”

“Fallen in love?” The boy’s eyes grew ten sizes, and he grinned from ear to ear. “That’s the best! Are you going to get married? Are you going to have kids?”

“Actually, yes,” Rose replied, laughing. She sat down and placed her hands on her belly. “I’m going to be having a child, very soon.”

“That’s amazing! You should write a song! A birthday song!”

“Oh, do you like to sing?”

The boy stood triumphantly and gave a huge nod. “Mm-hmm! I play the ukelele, too. My dad taught me.”

“That’s great. I hope my child will be as talented as you are.” The boy only beamed and sat back down.

“I also like ice cream.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah! And I like pancakes, and waffles. Oh, and donuts. And I like people. People are my favorite. I don’t like it when people fight, though.”

“Me neither. I’ve had enough fighting in my life.”

“Are you a great warrior?”

“I used to be.”

The boy leaned back on his hands. “I want to be a great warrior. But not so that I can hurt people. I want to protect them.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re a protector,” she said, smiling.

“Yeah!” the boy said, leaping up to his feet. “I want to become strong so that I can protect the ones I love, and help those that have become lost.”

“Well, you sound like you’re growing up to be a fine young man,” Rose said. The boy blushed, putting his hands in his pockets and scuffing his foot against the ground.

“So, can I help? I mean, about what you were crying about earlier.” Rose’s smile fell.

“It’s not that easy.”

“Try me,” the boy said, and he fell to his haunches beside her, looking up at her with those familiar eyes.

“Well, when my child is born, I will become a part of them.” 

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“Yes and no,” Rose replied. “I will become a part of them, but it means I will have to give up my physical form. They will never have met me.” They sat in silence for a while.

“Well, I’m sure he’ll know of you, right? The video tapes?”

“Yes, exactly, that’s why Greg and I are making them. But…” Rose’s eyes burned, and she clutched her gem. “But not only will my child never know me, but I will never know them.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I will never be able to see my child grow, mature, become a person with their own mind, their own will. I will never even know what they look like.” Rose put a hand to her mouth to stop the sobs.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay…” the boy murmured as he stood up. He hugged her, his chubby arms wrapping around her shoulders. “He will love you, Rose. He will know you. And you will know him.”

Rose looked over into those familiar eyes. They seemed too wise for a boy.

“Who are you?”

The boy put a hand to her stomach, and she felt her child kick in that spot. She gasped.

“My name is Steven,” the boy said, smiling. “Steven Universe.”

Rose put a shaky hand to the boy’s cheek. He was soft, almost insubstantial. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn’t care.

“It’s you,” she whispered.

“You wanted to know me.”

She beamed. “You have Greg’s eyes.” The boy beamed back at her.

“I have to go,” he said. He went up on his tiptoes and kissed her on the forehead. “But know that I love you, mom. And thank you, for everything.”

Rose frantically blinked her tears away, still smiling. She pulled him in for a hug. 

“And I love you, Steven Universe.”

A second later, he had vanished back into clouds, and Rose’s room was empty once more.


End file.
